In the Midst of Madness
by StarBrite4584
Summary: hard to explain. Just read it :o)


She couldn't beleive what was just told to her. She dropped the phone and fell to the couch behind her. Then quickly she retrieved the reciever again, and spoke. . .  
  
"Why wasn't I told sooner? WHY did you keep this from me?" Beth Wallace asked astounded at the fact that Kay Bennet was dead, and even more astounded that no one had even told her she was sick.  
  
"Beth, I know we should have called you and told you as soon as we found out, but she didn't want you to see her how she was in the last month of her life, she had a rare and serious form of cancer and it took her quickly." Luis told his child hood friend. "She knew you would take time out of your busy life and come see her and she didn't want that, she wanted you to remember her how she was growing up, not how she was when she was sick and dying."  
  
"But, I didn't get to say goodbye. . . ." she said with tears running down her cheek. ". . .you know I would have wanted to say goodbye!"  
  
"I know honey, I know. . ."  
  
"I am coming home, Mr. Crane will give me time off for this I am sure, and if not I will just ask to be transfered to the Harmony branch."  
  
"Okay, do you want me to meet you at the airport?"  
  
"Yes, Luis, I do, I will call you as soon as I know the flight number and ETA."  
  
"Okay, and Beth?"  
  
"Yes Luis?"  
  
"I love you"  
  
=============================================Ch.2  
  
Beth Wallace called Alistar Crane up on her phone, he awnsered on the second ring "Yes Beth, dear?" he replied not needing to know who asked, he had already heard about the poor Mikaila Bennett and knew that Beth was rather close to her.  
  
"Alistar, hello I was wondering if I could request some time off or be transfered to the Harmony branch of Crane Industries. I am sure you have heard about Kay by now."  
  
"Of course Beth, darling. You can have off as much time as you need, with pay of course. Don't worry about working while in Harmony, you need to be with friends and family."  
  
"Thank you Alistar, I must go now and book a flight for Harmony"  
  
"Don't worry about it Darling, I am flying there today also, you can ride with me on the Crane Jet."  
  
"Okay, thank you Alistar, when do you think we will be departing?"  
  
"As soon as you want to dear. Just give me a call when you are ready and I will send a Limo to get you."  
  
"Thank you, I shouldn't be long"  
  
"Your welcome dear. Goodbye"  
  
"Goodbye"  
  
- - - - -- - - - - -- -  
  
Beth quickly called Luis back, and he promptly picked it up on the second ring "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, its me. I don't need a ride from the airport, I am riding with Alistar on the Crane Jet, and he has arranged for me to have a car waiting at the airport."  
  
"Okay, tell him I said hello, it has been a while. And I will see you when you get here."  
  
"Okay, goodbye Luis"  
  
"goodbye"  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Beth frantically ran around her penthouse trying to get everything together for her trip home. It had been a few years and she was anxious, she just wished it were for reasons other than Kay Bennetts funeral.  
  
She began drifting into memories of the past, of the wonderful childhood she had growing up. The kind every girl dreams of. Her family had always been well off and so she was not in need of anything. Some may call her spoiled but she wasn't a brat. She simply got what she wanted when she wanted it. Her family along with the Bennetts and the Lopez-Fitzgeralds always were close. Luis, Noah and her all were in the same grade, Antonio and Beth's older brother Jeremy were in the grade above them and Theresa the grade below them. Then there was Paloma and Miguel (twins) along with Kay and Jessica (also twins) who were inseperable two years younger than them. It was as if they were all brothers and sisters instead of neighbors and friends. Although at times she felt bad for Kay Jessica and Paloma it was as if they had four older brothers to 'watch out for boys' rather than just one a piece. Whenever they hit high school they broke off a little but not much. Luis and Beth became a couple as did Jeremy and Kay. Which by the way was not to liked at first but they got used to it pretty quick. Paloma and Noah hooked up and Antonio and Jessica. This left Miguel out until he met Charity Crane. It was as if it was love at first sight. Then there was Theresa, she had hooked up with Bradley Hotchkiss. He was well liked instantly in their group of friends and fit right in. Along with him came his sister Gwen who was the same age as Beth Luis and Noah and her boyfriend Ethan Crane, Charity's brother. So then instead of a group of friends they grew up as it was expanded upon and became a group of couples. They were the most popular kids in school and everyone envied them, I mean they had it all . . . then Graduation came for Antonio and Jeremy. They both went off to Boston for college. Kay and Jessica missed them both very much, but their relationship withstood it and they saw each other every weekend alternating on them going to Boston and Jeremy and Antonio coming home. Then came the day of Beth Luis, Gwen and Noah's graduation. Beth and Luis both went of to NYU her to study business and him to become a lawyer. Gwen went to Berkly to join Ethan, who was already a Pre-Law major, to major in Political Science. Noah and Paloma were so much in love he couldn't stand to leave her so he went to Harmony University to major in Criminal Justice. He wasn't sure what he wanted to be, but was leaning towards FBI. The next year Theresa and Jeremy graduated and headed off to Berkly together. Her major was fashion design and his was Pre-Med. Finally came the day which Kay, Jessica, Miguel, Paloma and Charity graduated. Kay and Jessica headed off to Boston to be with Jeremy and Antonio. Paloma went to Harmony University with Noah with a major in Elementry Education. Finally Miguel and Charity took off to the University of Conneticut. Miguel majoring in Corporate Law and Charity in business, after all one day she was going to have an important role in Crane Industries. Their group of friends remained in touch because of all the interwoven relationships but things weren't quite the same. Luis and Beth ended up breaking things off during sophmore year, the only one of the couples not to make it, unfortunately. . .She wanted to remain in New York, while Luis wanted to head back to Harmony and start his own law practice.  
  
Beth wiped the silent tears running down her face. She now nows that she shouldn't have given up so easily, but what has happened happened and there isn't anything she can do that will change that. She quickly finished packing and called Alistar up. "I am ready Alistar" was all she said  
  
"Okay darling, I will have a driver there immediately"  
  
"thank you"  
  
"your welcome darling, goodbye"  
  
"goodbye"  
  
As Beth was driving through the country side between the airport and her small hometown her mind began to drift again to her childhood days. Days when she was carefree, days when she didn't care if she got a little dirty or scraped up. She would be the first to admit to you that she was at one time a tom boy. for the first twelve years of her life her mother could only get her to wear a skirt one day a week, and that was sunday. Her Luis and Noah had many adventures on the beach in their early years. They also had many punishments because of those adventures. On in particular however kept popping into her mind, it wasn't all that much of a unique adventure of theirs so she couldn't quite understand why it was nagging at her.  
  
Luis Noah and her had been about 8 at the time, making Jeremy and Antonio nine, Theresa 7 and Paloma Miguel and Kay about 7. They decided it would be a neat idea to sneak over to crazy old Tabitha's house and see who would be the bravest and play ding dong ditch. Kay of course had been the first to volunteer, she snuck up to the front door as quietly as she could, and rang the doorbell, then ran as fast as her little legs could carry her to the hideaway that all her friends were in just a few yards from the door. Tabitha came outside with her little doll and looked all around, then said something about 'stupid kids' and walked back inside. After that Kay was thought of as one of the bravest in the group, even though she was the youngest. . . .  
  
Those were the days, when your biggest worry and fear was the crazy old neighbor who some swear is a witch that has been living in this town for hundreds of years. Amazing some of the things child minds think up. When Beth finally pulled herself from her thoughts she realized she was pulling in front of her childhood home.  
  
The car pulled around the circular drive and stopped at the front door. Beth got out of the car and the driver came around with her bags. "Here we go" she muttered as she walked to the house. . .  
  
The door was promptly opened by an obviously new maid, who gave Beth the once over and asked how she could help her.  
  
"I live here, thank you" Beth replied "I am Beth Wallace, and who may you be?" she usually wasn't so holier than though with the help but this maid had some nerve with that attitude and Beth really wasn't in the mood for it. She made a note to apologize later for her behavior but for now she would carry out her role as Princess of the house.  
  
"I am sorry ma'am" the maid replied with her head bowed "I didn't realize you were going to be home."  
  
"Well I am home, and I would apprectiate it if you were to find someone to take my things to my old room." Beth replied coldly, then walked down the hall to her office that her dad had reserved for her when she started college, to call Luis. When she walked into her office she noticed that nothing had changed inside. Her large oak desk still sat in front of the picture window overlooking their lake, with a large leather chair behind it. There was still the floor to ceiling bookcase on either side of it filled with various books she had collected over the years. Framed awards and certificates she had received over the course of almost thirty years of her life, and of course her authentic bear skin rug, which she got while hunting with her father when she was a teenager. "Ahh the memories of my home" she said to no one but herself. She then walked around her desk, dialed Luis's number then put him on speaker phone and turned to look out her window.  
  
"Hello?" She heard Luis say into the phone.  
  
"Hello darling, I just called to say that I made it home okay and would love it if you could come over and visit with me." She said instantly getting into the routine of their friendship again. She knew she could always count on Luis to be there for her when she really needed him.  
  
"Of course sweetheart, I will be over in about 15 minutes" He replied with joy in his voice, especially at the prospect of seeing Beth again after so long.  
  
"I am in my office, you know where it is, I will tell the maid that I am expecting you."  
  
"Okay sweetheart, goodbye"  
  
"Goodbye darling, see you soon"  
  
Beth pushed the off button on her phone and walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed her a book to read. "Of Mice and Men, haven't read this in a while" she said to herself, then made herself comfortable in her chair and began to read. She had gotten the first couple chapters read and was deeply engrossed in the book when she heard a slight knock on the door.  
  
Luis knocked lightly on the door to Beth's office, then opened the door and walked in. He saw Beth sitting behind her desk, engrossed in a book. It reminded him of when they were growing up, she always seemed to have her nose in a book. But it was one of the many things he loved about her.  
  
"Hey there sweetheart, got your nose in a book already I see" He said to her with a large grin  
  
"Luis, darling" she replied with tears of joy pooling up in her eyes. "you have not changed much either you know, teasing me already." She got up from her chair and sat the book down on the desk. She made her way over to him and right into his arms.  
  
It felt as if she were made for his arms to go around her. She never realized how much she had missed Luis, and their relationship until now.  
  
"Would you care to take a walk on the grounds? I always loved the snow" she asked taking his hand, already knowing his awnser would be yes, he was never the one to refuse her anything.  
  
"Of course sweetheart, anything for you" He replied to her with a smile, knowing he could never refuse her anything when she looked at him like that.  
  
"Well then lets go, but first we must go to my room so I can change into something more suitable for a walk around the grounds." and she began to walk, with him following her.  
  
"What is wrong with what you have on?" He asked, looking at her with curiosity.  
  
"Darling, I can hardly go for a walk in this" she said looking down at her business suit she had still not changed from and her high healed shoes. "I am going to change into some jeans and a sweatshirt, I do not feel like being dressed up right now" with that she turned to the stairs and went up to her childhood room. Just walking in brought back so many memories of her teenage years, and the adventures that she and Luis had in here, blushing she supressed the memories and went straight to her wardrobe. She pulled out her favorite Tommy jeans and an old NYU sweatshirt, and slipped on her Adidas running shoes. Without a second thought she just began changing, forgeting about Luis's presence completely. She was brought back to the present when she heard Luis let out a groan. she turned to him with just her bra and skirt, and turned a deep shade of crimson. "I forgot you were here" was all she managed to get out before his lips were on hers. . . .  
  
Beth was shocked at first, but the feeling of his hands on her waist and his lips on hers was so great that she didn't want to ruin it. She deepened the kiss and slid her arms to the bottom of his sweater and pulled it off of him quickly, he unzipped her skirt and it fell to the floor. They made their way to the bed and were really getting into it, when there came a loud knock on the door.  
  
"Beth dear, are you in there?" came the booming voice of her father Johnathan Wallace.  
  
' golly ' Beth thinks and quickly jumps up from on top of Luis and slips on her sweatshirt, and jeans. "Yes father, I am." she replies trying to sound normal while her heart is racing. She walks over to the door and opens it letting her father in.  
  
Johnathan walks into his daughters room and sees Luis, and a smile instantly dawns his face "Luis, my boy, what are you doing here?" he asks with simple curiosity, he had always hoped that he and Beth would marry one day.  
  
"We were just about to go for a walk around the grounds, you know how much Beth loves the snow" Luis replied, a little nervous still about almost getting caught, even though they were both adults.  
  
"Well, I don't want to keep you two." Johnathan replied "Go ahead, I will talk to my Beth later" he told them with a smile on his face.  
  
"Okay, father. See you in a bit" Beth grabs Luis's hand and practically drags him out of there, but not without grabbing a jacket and matching scarf and glove set first.  
  
========================  
  
Luis and Beth are walking along the grounds when they come to a gazebo by the lake. The same memory assaults them both, and they look at each other with sad smiles. This was the place that Kay had her first kiss with Jeremy in, at Beth's 16th birthday party. They drifted back in time, and remembered the joyous time they had.  
  
It was mid summer in the town of Harmony, and the main event that was a must for anyone that wanted to be someone at Harmony High School was Beth Wallace's 16th birthday party. Even Seniors were hoping for invitations to the sophmores party. Kay Bennett had spent all day with Charity, Jessica, Paloma, and Theresa looking for the perfect outfit to wear, along with the perfect hair, makeup etc. She finally decided on a modest look of a pair of Tommy Hilfiger shorts which were rather short, but not a slutty short that some of the local girls went for, and a bright red Abercrombie and Fitch spagetti string tank top and white Adidas shoes with red stripes on them. She had her hair up in a messy bun that took her a good half hour to perfect. She wore simple jewelry, a hemp necklace with one sea shell hanging from it that Jeremy had brought back from the Bahammas for her the week before. She looked good and she knew it, she just hoped Jeremy liked it. She met up with the rest of her friends and she fit in perfectly, they all decided to match for the party tonite. So Charity had the same outfit on except she wore a blue Abercrombie Tank Top and a pair of tommy shoes, Then Jessica, her twin sister and absolute best friend had the same outfit except in Green and she didn't have the same necklace, they were identical twins, but if you knew them it was easy to tell the difference. Theresa's outfit was in Purple, with a pair of Adidas shoes, and Paloma's outfit was in Pink also with Adidas shoes. Beth however was the birthday girl so she dressed different, but not that much different. She wore a pair of Abercrombie and Fitch shorts with a Yellow Tommy halter top, she wore a pair of thong sandals on her feet that matched perfect. She had a necklace similar to Kay's on that she had gotten when Jeremy got Kay hers. They then made their way over to their dates and decided it was time to make an entrance.  
  
All eyes were on them when they walked out the back doors into the pavilion Beth's father had set up for the dance. There was a small amount of media there, but not anything they weren't used to. Not too long into the dance Jeremy told Kay he needed to talk to her in private, she was nervous that he was going to break up with her, after all he was a senior and she was just a freshman, but she followed him anyways, and they made their way over to the gazebo. When they got there, Jeremy just looked into her eyes and told her she looked beautiful, and he didn't know what he did to deserve her as his girlfriend, she just smiled up at him and told him she was wondering the same thing about him. That is when he leaned down and kissed her. It was a magical kiss, that all their friends heard about time and time again from Kay over the next two weeks. . . .  
  
Luis and Beth were pullen from their silent reverie whenever Beth let out an unconcious sob and broke down into tears. "Why did she have to die Luis? Why?" she asked him. He just held her and stroked her hair  
  
"I don't know sweetheart, I honestly don't know" he then began to cry himself, for they had both suffered a great loss, but they would help each other through it, that they could count on.  
  
Luis and Beth held each other and cried for what seemed like hours but was really only minutes, and then headed back to the house in silence, both thinking of their lost friend.  
  
*NEXT DAY*  
  
Jeremy Wallace pulled up to his home, the home he had shared with his loving wife for 10 wonderful years. He still couldn't beleive she was gone, it was so hard to accept. He did however have their beautiful daughter and son. They had been the perfect family. Trevor was 10 and Angeline was 8, and they ment the world to him. He looked into the rearview mirror and saw them both fast asleep, Angeline leaning on Trevor. Angeline (Li for short) looked so much like her mother, and acted just like her also it was uncanny at times. And Trevor his little boy was the spitting image of him, and has the same personality also. He reached into the back seat and shook them both gently to wake them  
  
"We're home" he said and got out of the car, then turned around and waited for them to get out of the car and follow him.  
  
"Where is mommy, daddy? I miss her" the angelic voice of Li sounded  
  
"She isn't here anymore honey, she had to leave us" he replied with tears in his eyes "She is with the angels in heaven now ,watching down on us"  
  
"When will we see her again?" She asked innocently  
  
"We always have her in our dreams" Trevor awnsered his younger sister "remember, she told us that" he put his arm around her  
  
"Yes darling, remember, she is always going to be in your dreams, until you can see her again" Jeremy said to his daughter, holding back the sobs threatening to escape his throat  
  
"Dad, it is getting pretty cold out, we should go inside" Trevor said. It was amazing how well he seemed to be taking the death.  
  
"You're right son, it is getting cold, lets go in and warm by the fire" Jeremy put his arm around his son and daughter and walked into the house.  
  
Once inside they were promptly greeted by the housekeeper, who took their coats. They made their way into the living room where there was a large fire place with many pictures on the mantle, and a large family portrait taken a few months ago, before Kay was diagnosed. It was a very cozy room, one of his favorite in the house. They all sat down in front of the fire and warmed their hands and feet. Not too long after they sat down, the maid came in to tell them they had company.  
  
"You have company sir"  
  
"Who is it, because we aren't up to much company"  
  
"It is your sister and a Mr. Lopez-Fitsgerald, sir"  
  
"OH! Send them in, right away"  
  
"Okay sir"  
  
The maid dissappeared and then within minutes Beth and Luis were walking in.  
  
"AUNT BETH, UNCLE LUIS!!" Li and Trevor shouted in unison, running over to the couple and wrapping their arms around them. "We have missed you so Aunt Beth, where have you been?"  
  
"I have been in New York darlings, but I have missed you also" Beth told them, it was amazing how happy these children made her. It was times like this that she wished that She and Luis had started a family. "but, I brought you presents" she said and Luis picked up the big box with many holes poked in it and wrapped in shiny silver wrapping paper.  
  
"What is it?" Li asked excitedly.  
  
"Open it silly and find out" Trevor told his younger sister  
  
The two children opened the package quickly and their eyes grew at the sight of two beautiful puppy's one with a blue ribbon on its collar the other with pink.  
  
"I get the pink one" Li exclaimed instantly and picked up the furry white puppy. Trevor likewise picked up the furry brown puppy. "I get the other"  
  
"So what are you going to name them?" Jeremy asked his children  
  
"I am going to name mine. . . " Li scrunched her little face up in thought "isabelle"  
  
"And I am going to name mine . . .Coco" Trevor replied.  
  
"What wonderful names" Beth exclaimed "I couldn't of thought of better ones myself" she gave them a heart warming smile, and was glad that she could bring the family some joy in this trying time. . . .  
  
= = = = = = = = = == = = = = =  
  
*THE FUNERAL*  
  
All of Harmony was at the funeral of Mikaila Leanna Bennett Wallace. Charity and Miguel sat next to Ethan and Gwen, Alistar and Katherine, and Julian and Ivy. In the front row was Jessica and Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald and their children, Grace and Sam Bennett, Noah and Paloma Bennett and their children, Johnathan and Marianna Wallace, Beth and Luis, and Finally Jeremy, Li, and Trevor. In the row behind them were Charity and Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald along with their daughter, Ethan and Gwen Crane and their son, Theresa and Bradley Hotchkiss and their twin sons and finally Pilar and Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald.  
  
It was a beautiful ceremony and there wasn't a dry eye in the place. However whenever Jessica got up to talk about her sister, it just pulled on everyones heartstrings so much that the tears just fell.  
  
"I will miss my sister deeply. I have spent my whole life with her by my side. I don't know how my life will ever be complete again without her. We were always so close growing up, you never heard one of our names without the other, some twins that would bother, but not us. I still remember the first day of kindergarden, we walked in together with our little matching dresses and backpacks. We were both extremely scared, but we had each other and Miguel and Paloma with us, so things weren't so bad. We went through that day playing so many tricks on the teacher the poor woman probably wanted to pull all of her hair out. The same goes with every other teacher we had." she smiled at remembering some of the crazy stunts they pulled. "Then came middle school, then high school, and our first boyfriends. We went through it together. After high school was college, the first time we were seperated. It was hard at first but we kept in touch, the phone bills were through the roof, but we didn't mind. Then we both got married and had children. We were there through that. I always figured we would experience our first grandchildren together also. But I guess it wasn't meant to be. I will miss you Mikaila Leanna Bennett, you will always be in my heart." She wiped the tears from her eyes and stepped down, then went over to her family and embraced them.  
  
Jeremy then made a speech about his wife  
  
"Mikaila was the love of my life. You know how some people go through their entire lives and never find love? Well I was lucky and found it when I was still in High School, and it took the form of my childhood friend. We have spent the last ten years happily married and had two children. She made my life full when she was in it, and now that she is gone there is an empty part of my heart that will never be filled. But as my son said, I always have my dreams. So Mikaila, until we meet again in heaven, I will see you in my dreams. I love you." He then laid a single red rose on her coffin and went back to his family.  
  
The snow was falling lightly as they laid Mikaila to rest in her families plot of the Harmony Cemetary. It was only family and close friends that attended the actual barial by request of the family. They all said their final goodbyes, and placed her in the ground for her eternal rest. Each knowing that they would never be the same without their wonderful friend.  
  
****************************** 


End file.
